UCC2: Course Change Transmittal Form Department Name and Number Current SCNS Course Identification Prefix Level Course Number Lab Code Course Title Effective Term and Year Terminate Current Course Other Changes (specify below ) Change Course Identification to: Prefix Level Course Number Lab Code Full Course Title Transcript Title (please limit to 21 characters) Credit Hours: From Contact Hours: Base or Headcount From Rotating pic: From S/U Only: From Variable Credit: From If, minimum and maximum credits/semester Repeatable Credit: From If, total repeatable credit allowed Prerequisites From Co-requisites From Course Description (50 words or less; if requesting a change, please attach a syllabus) From Rationale /Place in Curriculum/Impact on Program Department Contact College Contact Name Phone Name Phone Email Email Rev. 10/10
Shelter Animal Behavior and Welfare I. Course information Course Number: VEM 5320 Section Number: TBD Course Title: Shelter Animal Behavior and Welfare Course Abbreviation: Shelter Ani Behav/Welf Term offered: Spring Year: 2013 Course credit: 3 Graduate Credit Hours II. General information Online Course Coordinator: Terry Spencer, DVM MEd Office location & office hours: Online by email and VS4 Please allow 48 hours for a response to an email by the course coordinator. Office phone number: 352-294-4510 Email: sheltermedicine.online@vetmed.ufl.edu Online Course Instructor: Sheila D Arpi, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Contact instructor by email within the SAKAI course. Please allow 48 hours for a response to an email by the instructor. Website: http://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/online/ 1 P age
III. Course description Course goals/educational goals of the course: Concepts related to shelter behavior programs; evaluation of quality of shelter s behavior program; and implementation of changes to promote shelter animal behavior and welfare. Course objectives: By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Compare differences in intake/outcome policies among various sheltering models. 2. Classify the advantages and disadvantages of using various behavioral resources available to shelters. 3. Lead daily behavioral rounds and make population decisions to maximize both behavioral health and life saving efforts. 4. Assess welfare of individual animals as well as the general population within the shelter. 5. Evaluate housing conditions of sheltered animals. 6. Design protocols that maximize behavioral health and minimize risk to physical health. 7. Compare the reliability, validity, and standardization of available behavioral assessments and understand the advantages and limitations of such assessments. 8. Kw how to use available behavioral information to make appropriate placement decisions within various sheltering models. 9. Compare several behavioral modification techniques and determine whether the technique(s) are humane and whether the techniques are likely to be effective. 10. Use basic principles of psychopharmacology to design a medication protocol for a sheltered animal and monitor its effectiveness. 11. Diagse common behavior problems, create an appropriate treatment plan, and prescribe/monitor appropriate medications for problems such as: jumpy or mouthy dogs, separation anxiety, fearfulness, interspecies aggression, aggression toward people or other species, inappropriate elimination, urine marking, kennel stress and furniture scratching. Course Delivery: This course will be taught within the UF academic calendar for the spring semester. Most of the course will be delivered using the UF centrally supported learning management system, SAKAI. Discussions and some activities will be presented live. Students must have a Gator Link ID to access this e-learning site at the following link: https://lss.at.ufl.edu/ 2 P age
Students must have high-speed internet access and should download at least one additional browser other than Internet Explorer (such as Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.). Students should also have basic proficiency in Microsoft Office PowerPoint. IV. Prerequisites Students should be currently enrolled in the professional veterinary medicine program leading to a DVM degree and should be 3 rd or 4 th year professional students. Tentative Course Outline & Schedule: Content will be delivered within modules that are conceptually grouped. Some modules, due to the complexity of the content, will be longer than other modules. Assignments will be given during each module and due by the completion of the module on a designated date. The course will be completed within a semester time frame. Modules will include a combination of readings, recordings, webinars, group discussions, and/or student research projects. Experts in Shelter Medicine will be available as resources to students by use of asynchrous and/or live chats. Module 1: Introduction to Shelter Animal Behavior and Welfare (Estimated length of module, 1 week) Students will learn about various animal behavior credentials and sheltering models. Students will also practice using SAKAI, introduce themselves to their classmates, and complete a pre-course survey. Discussion: Compare qualifications of professionals who work in the field of animal behavior (such as those credentialed as CAAB or DACVB) and how policies vary between different sheltering models. Assessment: 2 points possible, 1 point awarded for contributing to the discussion 1 point for responding to a classmate s post Module 2: Daily Rounds and Welfare Assessments (Estimated length of module, 3 weeks) Students will learn how to implement a daily behavior rounds and use the information to improve the welfare of both individual animals and the shelter population. Week 1: Lectures/readings/recordings 3 P age
Week 2: Complete assignments Week 3: Discussion of assignments and chat with instructor Assignment 1: Virtual Rounds. (Grading rubric provided.) Students will be provided with individual animal histories, videos, and interactive images of sheltered dogs and cats. Students will use the material provided to assess welfare and recommend appropriate environmental enrichment for individual animals. Assignment 2: Population Rounds. (Grading rubric provided.) Assess facility conditions and housing in a local or a virtual shelter. Propose policy and facility modifications to improve behavioral health of the population. Assessment of Module 2: 16 points possible 6 points for completion of Assignment 1 6 points for completion of Assignment 2 2 points submitting question for discussion 2 points for participating in chat with the instructor (live or recorded) Module 3: Behavior Evaluations (Estimated length of module, 3 weeks) Students will learn why reliability, validity, and standardization are important concepts to consider when using behavior evaluations to make placement decisions for sheltered animals. Students will learn how to use behavior assessment information to make outcome decisions. Week 1: Lectures/readings/recordings/assignments Week 2: Project work Week 3: Discussion of assignments and chat with instructor Assignment 3: Research Paper. (Grading rubric provided.) Review three popular behavior assessment tools used in shelters and compare standardization, reliability, and validity of the assessment tools. Assignment 4: Case Review: (Grading rubric provided.) Students each assigned a behavior case to assess, classify by Asilomar Accord categories, and recommend appropriate shelter pathway for that animal based on the given shelter s resources. 4 P age
Assessment of Module 3: 16 points possible 6 points for completion of Assignment 3 6 points for completion of Assignment 4 2 points for submitting question for discussion 2 points for participating in the chat with the instructor (live or recorded) Module 4: Principles of Behavior Modification (Estimated length of module, 2 weeks) Students will learn about behavioral modification techniques such as; positive and negative punishment, positive and negative reinforcement, classical and operant conditioning, and desensitization. Students will explore the advantages, disadvantages, and welfare considerations for such techniques. Week 1: Lectures/ readings/recordings/assignment Week 2: Discussion of assignments and chat with instructor Assignment 5: Analyze Techniques from Popular Media: (Grading rubric provided.) View a nationally broadcast television show, analyze the behavior modification techniques displayed in that broadcast and debate effectiveness of popularized techniques. Assessment of Module 4: 13 points possible 10 points for completion of Assignment 5 3 points for participation in group discussion Module 5: Psychopharmacology for Behavior Problems (Estimated length of module, 1 week) Students will learn the indications and contraindications for various psychopharmaceuticals, select appropriate medical protocols for specific behavioral problems, and describe how to monitor the effectiveness of such prescriptions. Week 1: Lectures/readings/recordings/self-quiz Assignment 6: Self-quiz. Students will achieve a passing score of 80% or higher before moving to next module. Assessment of Module 5: 5 points possible for passing quiz 5 P age
Module 6: Diagsis and Treatment of Behavior Problems (Estimated length of module, 4 weeks) Students will use the kwledge and skills they have learned in this course to diagse behavior problems common to sheltered animals and make an appropriate treatment plan to improve the chances for live-release of the animal from the shelter. Students will learn about specific behavior problems and currently recommended therapies to modify such behaviors and improve outcomes. Week 1: Lectures/readings/recordings/discussion/assign group project Week 2: Lectures/readings/recordings/discussions Week 3: Lectures/readings/recordings/discussions Week 4: Lectures/readings/recordings/discussions Assignment 7: GROUP PROJECT: (Grading rubric provided.) Students will be assigned a case to evaluate and develop an appropriate plan for enrichment, treating and modifying behavior, within the resources of the shelter. Projects will be presented to the class during the final week of the course. Assessment of Module 6: 43 points possible 35 points for completion of assignment 6 2 points for participation in week 1 discussion 2 points for participation in week 2 discussion 2 points for participating in week 3 discussion 2 points for participating in week 4 discussion Module 7: Group Project Presentations (Estimated length of module, 1 week Students will view presentations by all groups and participate in a virtual discussion of the presentations. Students will also complete a post-course survey. Assessment of Module 7: 5 points possible for attendance and participation in group discussions about the presentations 6 P age
IV. Course Materials Required Resources: 1. ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters Download a copy from the following website: http://www.sheltervet.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=29 2. Various readings available on UF s Electronic Reserves, accessible via: https://ares.uflib.ufl.edu 3. Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff, Second Edition, Lila Miller and Stephen Zawistowski (editors), Blackwell Publishing, 2013. 4. Students might be expected to rent a recorded television broadcast from an internet provider such as Amazon.com. Recommended Additional Resources: (Optional) 1. The Welfare of Cats, Irene Rochlitz (editor), Springer, 2007. 2. Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat, Gary Landsberg, Wayne Hunthausen, and Lowell Ackerman, Elsevier Sciences, 2003. 3. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine, Second Edition, Debra Horwitz and Daniel S. Mills (editors), Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 4. The Veterinary Clinics of North America, Small Animal Practice: Update on Clinical Veterinary Behavior, Katherine A. Houpt and Vint Virga (guest editors), W.B. Saunders, 2003. 5. Veterinary Psychopharmacology, Sharon L. Crowell-Davis and Thomas Murray, Blackwell Publishing, 2006. V. Additional Resources/ Equipment Recorded Lectures If you have trouble accessing recorded lectures you might need to install a free copy of Silverlight. You can download Silverlight at: http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/. Word Processing Use a Microsoft Office compatible file extensions to save projects that will be submitted to the instructor. (Example: save documents as.doc or.docx; save PowerPoint presentations as.ppt or.pptx files before uploading.) 7 P age
VI. Evaluation/ Grading/Testing GRADES Assignment Discussion Points Points Module 1: Discussion 0 2 Module 2: Assignment 1 and 2 12 4 Module 3: Assignment 3 and 4 12 4 Module 4: Assignment 5 10 3 Module 5: Assignment 6 5 0 Module 6: Assignment 7 Group 35 8 Project Module 7: Project Presentations 0 5 tal 74 26 tal Possible Points 100 A 94-100 A- 93-90 B+ 89-87 B 86-83 B- 82-80 C+ 79-77 C 76-73 C- 72-70 D+ 69-67 D 66-63 D- 62-60 E 59-0 VII. Administrative Policies: For more information on UF Graduate School policies related to grades, attendance, student conduct, and academic honesty please visit: http://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=762 Honesty Policy All students registered at the University of Florida have agreed to comply with the following statement: I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University. In addition, on all work submitted for credit the following pledge is either required or implied: On my hor I have neither given r received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment. review the student hor code please visit: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/horcodes/horcode.php Plagiarism includes any attempt to take credit for ather person s work. This includes quoting directly from a paper, book, or website, without crediting the source. Sources should be ted, a link to the website added, or quotation marks placed around the 8 P age
material and attributed, even during online discussions. However, the instructor expects more than simply cutting and pasting in this graduate-level course. Students are expected to review, evaluate and comment on material they research, rather than simply copying relevant material. Work will be graded accordingly. Student Evaluation of Instruction Evaluations are performed electronically at the end of the course. evaluate the instructor, visit the UF Evaluation site at: https://evaluations.ufl.edu/evals/ Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Students requesting accommodations must first register with the Dean of Students Office, Disability Resource Center at 352-392-8565. Students may also apply on-line for accommodations. For more information, see the Disability Resource Center website at: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ The Disability Resource Center will provide a letter to the student who must then meet with the course instructor to discuss the required accommodations. Once tification is complete, the instructor can work with the Disability Resource Center to provide the requested accommodations. ensure that necessary accommodations are provided in a timely manner, it would expedite this process if any student who might need an accommodation would tify the course coordinator during registration. Software Use All faculty, staff and students of the University are required to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. UF Counseling and Wellness Center Many resources are available for students who need help with stress-related problems or emergencies. Assistance is available both by appointment and after hours by calling 352-392-1575 or visiting the website at http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/. Grade Changes Grades will be changed only when a grading error has been made. 9 P age
10 P age Communication with Instructors The preferred method for communication between students and the course instructor is by email within the SAKAI online learning management system. Please allow 48 hours for a response. Do NOT use the discussion board to communicate with about hardware problems, grades, or other personal matters. Attendance Lessons within this course can include a combination of asynchrous self-paced activities and synchrous activities that require attendance at specific times. Students are expected to visit the course website daily to check for important updates and anuncements about due dates and scheduled times for synchrous activities. Instructors monitor participation in discussion boards and other activities within the SAKAI learning management system. Class Participation Students are expected to constructively and professionally participate in online discussions and while completing both individual and group projects. Students are also expected to contribute interesting and relevant information during the discussions, chats, and group projects. All interactions between classmates and/or faculty must be polite and professionally conducted. Shouting (using all capital letters), use of profanity or insulting language, or plagiarism will t be permitted. However, avoid clogging the discussion boards with short responses such as, Good Job or Thanks or Me o as such postings contribute little to the discussion. Performance Expectations Students are expected to produce quality work of a standard comparable to any graduate-level didactic course. Postings, assignment submissions, and discussions must be legible, constructive and appropriate. Students are required to think for themselves and will be expected to complete assignments that require the application of logic and reasoning skills when the answer may t be found in a book or the course tes. Factual information should be documented and referenced during discussions and within assignments. Make-Up Work, Late Assignments, and Due Dates Students are expected to complete assignments according to the due dates given within the course and posted on the course calendar within SAKAI. In most cases, students will be given the flexibility to progress through the lessons at their own pace. However, once a due date is passed, there will be opportunity for make-up or late submissions. It is imperative that students plan for completion of the course within the term calendar
and sign into the course daily to check for anuncements and updates. Students might have other work and personal commitments. However, because online courses offer so much flexibility, students are expected to make every effort to meet course deadlines. Instructors monitor the discussion boards and track student participation. Because students have email access to both their classmates and instructors within SAKAI, there is ample opportunity to clarify instructions and prevent misunderstandings about expectations and due dates. If a student experiences a situation that is beyond their control and there is a possibility they will t meet a due date, the student should immediately tify the instructor and course coordinator to explain the situation. This includes any technical issues that must be addressed by the UF Help Desk. If such an issue prevents a student from submitting an assignment by the due date, the student will be expected to produce a UF Help Desk Ticket to document efforts were made to correct the problem in a timely manner prior to the due date. Important Dates/Deadlines to Withdraw Consult the UF Graduate School Academic Calendar at http://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=845 for details on dropping or withdrawing from this course and any tuition penalties that apply. Consult the course calendar within SAKAI for important dates and deadlines that pertain to this course. 11 P age